1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improvement in missile inertial safety and arming devices and the methods of operation thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Act
Various safety and arming devices have been proposed in the prior art for preventing accidental arming and premature ingition of ordnance devices. The ignition of flares or the explosion of bombs or missiles during handling, shipping or in storage creates a highly dangerous condition.
Percussion fuze devices have been proposed in which a fuze normally held inoperative by a safety device is released by setback forces developed upon launching of a projectile. Such a fuze is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,652,635 which was issued on Dec. 13, 1927 to B. Pantoflicek.
Another type of fuze device has been propoesd in which a slide mechanism moving in a zig-zag groove responds to setback forces developed during sustained acceleration of a projectile to arm the fuze. Devices of this type are disclosed in the following U.S. patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,595,757 issued to E. W. Brandt on May 6, 1953; PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 2,666,390 issued to E. W. Brandt on Jan. 19, 1954; PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 2,712,284 issued to H. E. Thomas, et al. on July 5, 1955; PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 3,139,828 issued to J. Delaney, et al. on July 7, 1964; PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 3,724,385 issued to B. D. Beatty, et al. on Apr. 3, 1973; PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 3,890,901 issued to M. E. Anderson, et al. on June 24, 1975.
A further type of fuze device has been proposed wherein movement of a setback slide mechanism pivots a lever and initiates a timing mechanism to release a detonator carrier which is moved into an armed position. Such devices are shown in the following U.S. patent:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,863,393 issued to E. N. Sheeley on Dec. 9, 1958;
The prior art safety and arming devices of the prior art exhibit a high degree of sophistication in their development and construction. They are, however, rather bulky and complex, involving components that are difficult to manufacture and assemble. There is, therefore, a need and a demand, particularly for use with missiles, of an improved safety and arming device that will fit into a cavity of the propellant of an advanced missile system. Such a device has to be small, lightweight and preferably arm only after the previous stage of a missile has been fired successfully.